Pathogenic role and clinical relevance of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in vasculitides

Steroid-responsive encephalopathy: an under recognised aspect of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

We present a case of a patient who was diagnosed with Hashimoto's encephalopathy based on the presence of subacute behavioural changes, negative work up for infection and immunological serology except for high serum titres of thyroid autoantibodies. Thyroid function tests (TFTs) and MRI of the brain were normal. EEG showed low amplitude, slow waves and θ waves at both frontal areas. His condition improved dramatically after treated with high-dose glucocorticoid. After 2 years of a relapsing-remitting course, a new episode occurred. There was an abrupt change of TFTs within 5 days: free thyroxine (fT4) from 1.52 to 1.53 ng/mL, free triiodothyronine (fT3) from 3.25 to >30 pg/mL and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from 5.08 to 0.78 mIU/L. On the following day found fT4 2.58, fT3 14.67 and TSH 0.042. The patient was diagnosed with Hashitoxicosis. High-dose glucocorticoid and β-blockers were initiated. The symptoms gradually improved and TFTs normalised within 2 weeks.

Vasculitis in children and adolescents: clinical presentation, etiopathogenesis, and treatment

The childhood vasculitides are a group of diseases affecting small to large blood vessels. The two most common conditions are Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and Kawasaki disease (KD). HSP is diagnosed on the basis of typical clinical findings and is mostly a self-limiting disease. KD is the most common vasculitis in infants and the development of coronary artery aneurysms is the major complication. Early treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is required to minimize this risk. All other vasculitides are very rare in children and include anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa and Takayasu disease. The etiology of all these vasculitic diseases is generally unknown and, therefore, no specific treatment is available. The more rare vasculitides are generally much more severe, often needing treatment with high doses of corticosteroids and immunosuppressant agents such as cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and mycophenolate mofetil.